Special to The Japan Times
The Aki Basho opens Sunday, with the yokozuna and ozeki heading the list of favorites, although yokozuna Takanohana is sidelined with the elbow injury he incurred midway in the Nagoya Basho.
Musashimaru must be listed as the odds-on favorite this time, while fellow-yokozuna Akebono, the winner of the July Tournament with a 13-2 record, will be his chief challenger.